ARUBA life: Why move to Aruba and why to get the hell out! Come to Aruba for sun and fun living.

Living in sunshine can be relaxing and cumbersome at the same time. While residing on a tropical Caribbean island and enjoying hot and sunny weather, there are still plenty of reasons to get the hell out and fast.
Here are some pros and cons of living in Aruba:
1. Pro – You’re always on vacation! Living as anAruban, you don’t have to travel far to go on vacation. Aruba has plenty of white sandy beaches all around the island. Some popular spots include Palm Beach, Eagle Beach, Arashi Beach and let’s not forget Baby beach. All beaches are public so you can enter for free.
2. Pro – The friendliest people! Unlike other places where you will see and meet over 50 different nationalities on a small location, this island has it’s nicest and most relaxed proud people, always willing to help a lost tourist, let’s people cross the road where ever they please, when you come to someone’s home during lunch time there is always an extra plate of food available, overall very
friendly people in Aruba. Of course it is part of the world and you do have to use common sense. But when the sun is shining everyone seems to smile more, worry less and just enjoy the good things in life.
3. Pro – Live for cheap! The cost of living in Aruba is much lower than living in California or New York. Of course the downside to living for less is working for less. Minimum wages are somewhat low, and most hotel-/restaurant staff lives on tips that you, the generous visitor will leave for them. Also many sales-/ service staff live on commission based salaries. Therefor the service level is kept high also in Aruba.
4. Con – You must have a (rental) car! In Aruba things are spread out and waiting on a bus in the heath is no fun. And with vehicle registration, driver’s license fees, tickets, car insurance and gas prices, driving can get quite expensive.
5. Con –Drinks get warm very quickly! You have to drink up quickly before the sun warms your drink. What a stress.
6. Con –Donkey crossing! Paying attention to crossing donkeys, iguanas, goats and dogs, can be quite a challenge, especially after some happy hour drinks. Remember that at any given time anywhere, the car in front of you will step on the brakes for someone or something wanting to cross; so keep your distance. Those are just a few of the reasons why to live in Aruba and why to get the hell out.

So if you’re thinking about moving to the Happy Island of Aruba, it could be a good idea if you have a car, can drink quickly, enjoy sunshine, and pay attention while driving.

How Much Do I Have to Save to Buy a Home?

Sponsored ByThe first thing to understand about buying a property is that you do not need to have all the cash saved up in order to make your purchase.
The good news is that there are banks out there who will lend as much as 95 percent of the purchase price of your home, at very favorable interest rates. And the banks are willing to spread out the payments over a long period of time, so that you can afford the house you want.

If you have a steady job/ income, there is a good chance that you can find a bank who will lend you most of the purchase price of your new house.

Home loans are also called "mortgages," which comes from a Latin phrase meaning "pledge unto death." While lenders don't take your promise to pay quite that seriously, they DO expect to get repaid on time. Just to make sure you remember, lenders take an ownership interest in your house until the loan is paid in full.

Home loans typically are offered in amounts of 80 to 90 % of the purchase price of the property. You are expected to pay the remaining amount in cash from your own savings. As you might imagine; the lower percentage loans are easier to qualify for.

The reason the bank is willing to lend you up to 95 percent of the value of your house is that history has shown real estate to be such an excellent investment.

Lenders expect that your home will be worth more in the future than it is today - so their investment in your home is considered very safe.

That's also why the interest rate you can obtain on a home loan is one of the best around.

Consider that America's largest and strongest corporations borrow at what is called the "prime rate," and that today you can borrow a home loan - fixed at the same rate for many years - at substantially less than the prime rate. Lenders have found that home loans tend to be excellent investments, and you benefit every month when you make your loan payment.

Finally, home loans are available to be repaid over terms of usually 15, 20 or 30 years. The shorter term loan offers a slightly lowered interest rate, so if you can afford the higher monthly payments, you'll save in interest costs by choosing the 15 year loan.

At today's interest rates, a 15 year loan costs about 27% more than a 30 year loan in terms of your monthly payment. But the amazing thing is that lenders are even willing to offer a fixed rate loan for that time period.

It's better financing than you can get on just about any other investment.

About Rent a Chef Aruba

Bas Kuurstra's Rent a Chef service offers gourmet personalized food, cooked to your taste and prepared in your home on Aruba.  As a personal chef, Bas pre-cooks a delicious, healthy meal, which you can sit down to with your family in little or no time. Spend less money and eat healthier than when going out to restaurants or buying take-out meals. This service saves you a lot of time – you do not need any meal planning, grocery shopping, putting away your groceries or preparing food; even the cleaning up afterwards is not your problem anymore.

For private dinners Rent a Chef is the perfect option. We can make anything from a small dinner to super luxury 10 course dinner all in the comfort of your home or your home away from home when your staying on Aruba for vacation. Complete your perfect vacation with our Private dinner service.

Contact Bas Kuurstra by phone (+297-5928268) or email (basgoesaruba@hotmail.com) and he will set up an in-house consultation meeting to discuss the food you and your family like or dislike, including avoiding any allergic reactions. All meals will be prepared exactly the way you want. A customized menu for an entire week, cooked at your home in one day is something that you might have been waiting for. And if you think this service will cost the earth, think again: Rent a Chef’s fee is very reasonable. P.s.: it will not be necessary for you to be home when Rent a Chef is cooking up a storm. Chef Bas will bring the necessary tools, package and label all meals and place them in the refrigerator or freezer. A menu, listing each item with heating instructions will be left and your kitchen will be spotless when you come home from work. Weekly or bi-weekly service is recommended. However, less frequent options are available based on your needs. A deposit and money for groceries will be required.

Private chef services and cocktail parties also belong to the options.

Barbulet Concierge Aruba

About Barbulet Concierge Aruba

Barbulet Concierge Aruba is a sole proprietorship and managed by Freya Kraag.

Freya has a degree in hotel management and has been in the service industry for approximately 10 years. She started her career at the Aruba Marriott as Concierge Agent and later was promoted to Executive Admin Assistant and afterwards Front Desk Manager. Freya also worked as Front Office Manager at an upscale boutique hotel, the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort. Currently, Freya works as Quality Assurance Manager at the Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa, one of the most popular low-rise hotels on the island.
Freya enjoys working in the hospitality industry and it was from her first job as Concierge Agent that she realized how passionate she was about vacation planning and assisting guests make their vacation an unforgettable one. 
Freya turned her passion into a business and today assists visitors around the world with planning memorable vacation experiences in Aruba.

Our mission at Barbulet Concierge Aruba is to assist visitors in planning their Aruba vacation and provide them with a relaxing and worry free visit to the island by taking care of all their vacation arrangements.
For more information/ reservations please click on the website link; http://www.barbuletconcierge.com/
 

5 signs it's time to buy a home

1. You want control of your surroundings and environment

If you find yourself wanting to put in a swimming pool, remodel your bathrooms or make other  changes to the property, it is a sign you should be looking to buy, There are things you can't do when you're sharing/ renting a space. If you want to install a new kitchen or build an outdoor pizza oven, you can't do that if you're a renter.  

While homeowners might be willing to invest $30.000,- remodeling their kitchen, they simply won't do that in a home they rent.

2. You're interested in a specific city or Caribbean island
If you want to live in a specific neighborhood, it may be time to put down roots.  

If you want your children to be in a particular school district or you want your family to live in a specific part of the island, then it's time. It may be better for your kids to have that stability. A lot of parents don't want to think about moving around all the time when they have kids in school.

3. Your family grows — or shrinks

Many times, people are inspired to buy because they find they have too many people in their family for the number of bedrooms. You're just moving through the progression of life, and sometimes you find that you need a bigger property. Families may realize this when their kids reach school age, or when their family is growing. Also, many baby boomers are buying these days, but they're downsizing rather than looking for additional space.

4. You find a good deal

At a certain point, it's time to stop thinking about "what if" and start taking steps to make the purchase, especially with interest rates on the rise. When you find a good deal, it's time to act, so spend Less, Save More, and live better.

Maybe you've had your eye on a house for quite some time and it's still on the market. Houses are moving, so if you wait any longer, there's a strong possibility you'll lose out.

If you're considering a purchase, look at what the market is dictating. If you're waiting for the price to get 20 percent lower, that may not be realistic.

 5. You have the down payment

As soon as you have your down payment saved, don't be afraid to part with it.

A lot of people reach their goal and then they don't want to part

with that money. The danger is that your eyes will start to get bigger, and you may try to purchase a bigger home than you can afford.

A lot of people keep thinking something bigger and better will come along, but that day might not come. At some point you have to say; this may not be our dream home, but it's a good home and we're going to go ahead and do it.

ARUBA- ELECTRIC FESTIVAL Sept. 2014

http://electricfestival.com/ef14/program

 

The Electric Festival has started. Till September 7, 2014 in Aruba @ Nikky Beach/ Havana Beach, with artists such as; Chuckie, Loco Dice, Knife Party, Carnage, Nutzbeatz, Lil John, Fellow and many more.